I can understand that sentiment about your mate. When I was only 28, my next door neighbor, who was also 28 died of a heart attack. Turns out it was genetic and ran in her family, but it was very hard to fathom at that time, someone my own age perishing. Heart attacks were certainly something I wasn't worried about at that time, those things only happened to old people ! Even I was amazed at how very much that affected me at the time.
When people say "you just never know"... it is true, you just never know !
It is so true, you really just never know. I think that is why you have to live life while you have it and not just spend your days being curmudgeonly and bitter!
I think as you get older you start to get a sense of your own mortality more as well and it shakes the pants off ye and not in a good way
My mortality is certainly closer in my thoughts as I've gotten older. It helps me talk myself out of a lot of nonsense for sure. I think sometimes, what am I spending my little time concerned about THAT for ?! (whatever THAT is at the time)... and I try to get myself turned in a better direction.... for whatever little time I might have left. ha ha.... but not in a morbid way, in a fun way that lets me leave it behind.
I am the same, it has helped me not go full crazy on nights out with the guys and sometimes I have even got home early-ish... Not too early though, I've not gone full wuss.
I do find myself thinking about things and telling myself to give myself a break. Lol, the madness of the mature years 😀😀